Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford 

13 July 1942

An American actor and film producer. In 1964, after a season of summer stock with the Belfry Players in Wisconsin, Ford traveled to Los Angeles, California to apply for a job in radio voice overs. He did not get it, but stayed in California and eventually signed a $150 a week contract with Columbia Pictures' New Talent program, playing bit roles in films. His first known part was an uncredited role as a bellhop in "Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round" (1966). There is little record of his non-speaking roles (or "extra" work) in film. Ford was at the bottom of the hiring list, having offended producer Jerry Tokovsky after he played a bellboy in the feature. He was told by Tokovsky that when actor Tony Curtis delivered a bag of groceries, he did it like a movie star; Ford felt his job was to act like a bellboy. Ford managed to secure other roles in movies, such as "A Time for Killing (The Long Ride Home)", starring Glenn Ford, George Hamilton and Inger Stevens.

Harrison Ford's carpentry work for George Lucas eventually landed him his first starring film role, when he was hired by Lucas to read lines for actors auditioning for parts in his then-upcoming film "Star Wars" (1977). Lucas was eventually won over by Ford's performance during these line reads and cast him as Han Solo. Star Wars became one of the most successful movies of all time worldwide and established Ford as a superstar. He went on to star in the similarly successful Star Wars sequels, "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) and "Return of the Jedi" (1983), as well as the "Star Wars Holiday Special" (1978). Ford wanted Lucas to kill off Han Solo at the end of "Return of the Jedi", saying, "That would have given the whole film a bottom," but Lucas refused.

Ford received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for "Witness", for which he also received Best Actor BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations. He received the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 2002 Golden Globe Awards and on June 2, 2003, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has received three additional "Best Actor" Golden Globe nominations for "The Mosquito Coast", "The Fugitive" and "Sabrina".

As actor

• Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (1966) 
• Luv (1967) 
• A Time for Killing (1967) 
• Journey to Shiloh (1968) 
• The Mod Squad (1968) 
• Zabriskie Point (1970) 
• Getting Straight (1970) 
• The Intruders (1970) 
• Dan August (1971) 
• American Graffiti (1973) 
• The Conversation (1974) 
• Judgment (1975) 
• Dynasty (1976) 
• The Possessed (1977) 
• Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) 
• Heroes (1977) 
• Force 10 from Navarone (1978) 
• The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) 
• Apocalypse Now (1979) 
• Hanover Street (1979) 
• The Frisco Kid (1979) 
• More American Graffiti (1979) 
• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) 
• Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) 
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) 
• Blade Runner (1982) 
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) 
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) 
• Witness (1985) 
• The Mosquito Coast (1986) 
• Frantic (1988) 
• Working Girl (1988) 
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) 
• Presumed Innocent (1990) 
• Regarding Henry (1991) 
• Patriot Games (1992) 
• Young Indiana Jones and the Mystery of the Blues (1993) 
• The Fugitive (1993) 
• Clear and Present Danger (1994) 
• Sabrina (1995) 
• The Devil's Own (1997) 
• Air Force One (1997) 
• Six Days Seven Nights (1998) 
• Random Hearts (1999) 
• What Lies Beneath (2000) 
• K-19: The Widowmaker (2002) 
• Hollywood Homicide (2003) 
• Water to Wine (2004) 
• Firewall (2006) 
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) 
• Dalai Lama Renaissance (2008) 
• Crossing Over (2009) 
• Brüno (2009) 
• Extraordinary Measures (2010) 
• Morning Glory (2010) 
• Cowboys & Aliens (2011) 
• 42 (2013) 
• Ender's Game (2013) 
• David Blaine: Real or Magic (2013)
• Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013) 
• The Expendables 3 (2014) 
• The Age of Adaline (2015) 
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) 
• Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Quotations

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We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance.

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What's important is to be able to see yourself, I think, as having commonality with other people and not determine, because of your good luck, that everybody is less significant, less interesting, less important than you are.

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If I were a serious person, I'd probably have a real job.

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You may get real tired watching me, but I'm not going to quit.

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I think retirement's for old people. I'm still in the business, thank you. I have a young child of nine years old, and I want to live as long as I can to see him grow up. I'm enjoying my life and I want to stick around for as long as I can.

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I rarely play a real person, because I don't think I'm a good imitator.

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Directing is too hard, it takes too much time, and it doesn't pay very well.

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The actor's popularity is evanescent; applauded today, forgotten tomorrow.

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To me, success is choice and opportunity.

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The third time you say a thing it sounds like a lie.

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I have relationships with people I'm working with, based on our combined interest. It doesn't make the relationship any less sincere, but it does give it a focus that may not last beyond the experience.

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It took me a long time to figure out how to act, and how to conduct myself in the business so I could get what I felt I needed to support my potential and give them what they wanted.

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Hollywood's got its own particular environment.

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I wanted to live the life, a different life. I didn't want to go to the same place every day and see the same people and do the same job. I wanted interesting challenges.

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I accrued anger from people's low opinion of me and my work, and for the work I might be capable of.

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